Boys Who Hunt by Clarissa Wild

Nov. 26th, 2025 09:00 am
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Posted by Amanda

C+

Boys Who Hunt

by Clarissa Wild
December 27, 2024

There is a more extensive list of triggers and warnings on the author’s website that goes into more detail, especially regarding kinks.

Boys Who Hunt is a dark, bully, why choose romance, and it was the art that made me read it. I was advertised a Kickstarter for special editions and I was like, Whoa, that cover art is gorgeous. It reminded me a lot of the dreamy art styles I see in romance manhwa (Korean comics).

Also, when I finish a book, I like to debrief with my fiance. It’s not uncommon for me to start pacing around our bedroom at 1am while I ramble nonsensically at my sleepy partner. However, my partner was out of town this past week, so my rambling was done over the phone and the entire time they thought the title was Boys Who Cunt.

And they just…rolled with it. Nary a “Wait a sec, what?” was uttered.

I digress.

Ivy Clark is a scholarship student at a prestigious university, but she’s in desperate need of money for *reasons*.

Reasons explained

Ivy took her younger half sister out of an abusive situation and her sister’s biological dad is out for revenge. Ivy’s being extorted to the tune of thousands of dollars to keep her and her sister’s whereabouts a secret.

She’s doing her best to make ends meet but it’s not enough. Her solution is to go to a frat party and rob the wealthy mean boys: Silas, Heath, and Max. I love this setup. And she almost gets away with it! Unfortunately, in her haste to escape, she leaves one of her hearing aids behind. Ivy’s hearing loss is briefly explained and does come up in a few scenes, so it’s not mentioned once and then forgotten.

The three heroes eventually catch up with her and since she can’t return the money, she essentially “agrees” (or rather is blackmailed) to pay off her debt with sexual servitude.

A breakdown of the dudes:

Silas: Ring leader. Serial killer. Pretty fucked up.

Heath: Playboy. Serial killer. A little less fucked up.

Max: Stalker. Not a serial killer. The least fucked up.

All of them, of course, are weapons trained and can handle themselves in a high speed chase. Just normal frat boy things.

The plot is a big rinse and repeat of extreme sexual situations with minor updates to the suspense thread of Ivy’s predicament (as noted in the above spoiler).

This is technically a spin-off, or a continuation of the first three Spine Ridge University books. The three heroes are the children of heroines and heroes are those books, and each heroine seems to have three-ish partners in a throuple situation. So there are a TON of people that make up these family trees. There’s a lineage chart at the beginning, but there’s just too many people.

The characters were fine and a little silly. Like, come on, three frat guys who have an armory in their frat house and are also serial killers? Also Silas’s dad is the dean of the university and has to have a come to Jesus talk with his son to stop killing people. When I was in college, the frat guys on campus were just known for covering poor pledges in catfish stinkbait and raw eggs. (Yes, this is real. Google it.)

The book does suffer because of the length and the obnoxiously large cast. If you’re familiar with the prior books, it might be easier for you to keep track of all the parents and their histories.

If you like a romance with dark heroes who do an “oops, I have a feeling and I’m going to make it everyone’s problem,” you might like this. As I mentioned earlier, I kept reading in anticipation for the group–namely Silas–to realize his heart grew three sizes that day.

On the plus side, these characters, especially the parents, make frequent appearances and had me motivated to read from the beginning of the series. I did buy book one immediately after finishing this.

Typically, I can breeze through a book in a few hours. I have the terrible habit, though, of starting books late at night and then I can’t stop. When I was reading this, I kept looking at the slow crawl of the percent. I’d been reading for a couple hours and I hadn’t even made it half way. I didn’t finish the book until around 4am.

Turns out, this book is over SEVEN HUNDRED FUCKING PAGES.

What.

Why.

In a hot takes bonus episode of the SBTB podcast, I ranted that no fantasy romance should be over 400 pages and now I’m going to extend that to all romances. I’m not above a beefy book, but for those higher page counts, I expect a large amount of world building or plot progression. We could have cut a couple DP scenes. Or ones where half a dozen family members are congregating over dinner. (Also speaking of double penetration, I assumed those would require way more prepwork. Apparently not!)

Whenever I finish these books, my partner asks if I liked it. Lately, my answer goes something like this: “Hmmm, yes? I don’t know.” Quality content and entertaining content aren’t mutually exclusive. Was this a top quality romance for me? No. It’s not going on my keeper shelf or any personal “best of” lists. But it held my attention, which counts for a lot since I will DNF within the first fifty pages. With the general state of the world, anything that allows me to turn my brain off and be absorbed gets extra points.

Many of the dark romances I’ve read this year–this one included–fall into a similar category of being compelling, but was it good? I never have a clear answer to that question. It certainly held my attention. It was over the top and bizarre and fun. It motivated me to want to read more by this author and in this series. I’ve been busy since I finished, but I can’t stop thinking about returning to my kindle for book one. I was eagerly awaiting the big reveal of Ivy’s secret and the moment when the heroes finally admitted they were in love with her (those scenes were very good).

I’m sure I’ve made this comparison before, but these are potato chip books. I keep reaching my hand into the bag, way after my stomach starts to hurt. I’m curious how you all would categorize or grade these reading experiences!

Note: I want to reiterate that this is a very dark book. Take the laundry list of content warnings seriously.

[Amanda from the past here. I’ve gone on to read book one of the series, Sick Boys. Still compulsively readable, but too long. And the character archetypes are very much copy and paste. I fear this entire series is the same book written over and over. I will be temporarily pausing my marathon of Spine Ridge University.]

2025 Gift Guide: Cookbooks!

Nov. 26th, 2025 07:00 am
[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by SB Sarah

This is a rather large cooking week for some folks, so I thought it would be a great time to talk about cookbooks, especially ones that are perennial favorites.

I LOVE gifting cookbooks, and I love borrowing them from the library to test-drive them, too. The potential for deliciousness is a thrill that makes me read them cover to cover sometimes, and I am very excited to share this collection.

A few important pieces of info before we take a deep dive into cookery bookery land!

Send us your requests! Do you have a request or something you’re searching for? A gift idea for the “impossible to shop for” person? Gifts for people who don’t want stuff? We would love to help.

Blue gift box with silver ribbon

A Rakuten Reminder: Currently, for a limited time, you can get $50 back if you join and make a purchase +$50 within 90 days. And there are quite a few increased cashback percentages.

And, as always: Some of our links are affiliate coded, which sends a portion of your purchase price back to us at no extra cost to you. It’s one of a few ways we keep the hot pink mayhem going at SBTB HQ, so thank you in advance for your support!

ARE YOU READY? I asked on Bluesky and in the SBTB reviewers’ Slack and also my own bookshelf for cookbook recommendations, and y’all, there are so many great ones. I had so many I had to trim because this post would have been miles long.

We’ve got classics, brand new cookbooks, vintage options, and some excellent cookbooks that blend memoir and cultural history, too!

 

One: Simple One-Pan Wonders

One: Simple One-Pan Wonders by Jamie Oliver

Author: Jamie Oliver
Released: January 10, 2023 by Flatiron Books
Genre: ,

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER

One is the ultimate cookbook that will make getting good food on the table easier than ever before . . . Jamie Oliver is back to basics with over 120 simple, delicious, ONE pan recipes.

This edition has been adapted for the US market.

In ONE, Jamie Oliver will guide you through over 120 recipes for tasty, fuss-free and satisfying dishes cooked in just one pan. What’s better: each recipe has just eight ingredients or fewer, meaning minimal prep (and cleaning up) and offering maximum convenience.

Packed with budget-friendly dishes you can rustle up any time, ONE has everything from delicious work from home lunches to quick dinners the whole family will love; from meat-free options to meals that will get novice cooks started.

Lara recommended this one – I’ve linked to the American measurements one, but there’s also a Metric measurement edition. Lara says, “For a long while I lived without an oven and did all my cooking on a two-plate stove. I found Jamie Oliver’s One a really helpful book.”

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Appetite

Appetite by Nigel Slater

Author: Nigel Slater
Released: September 24, 2002 by Clarkson Potter
Genre:

“If you decide to go through life without cooking you are missing something very, very special. You are losing out on one of the greatest pleasures you can have with your clothes on.” — Nigel Slater

A chance comment spurred the heralded Observer columnist and wildly popular cookbook author Nigel Slater to write Appetite. A reader asked “If you don’t give me exact amounts in a recipe, then how will I know if it is right?” Slater realized the reader had so little confidence in his own cooking that he didn’t know what he liked unless he was told. Appetite is not about getting it right or wrong; it is about liking what you cook.

To help the everyday cook achieve culinary independence, Slater supplies the basics of relaxed, unpretentious, hearty cooking, written with his trademark humour and candour. Slater doesn’t believe in replicating restaurant-style theatricality to impress guests — he simply loves food, and his love is evident on every page.

Slater covers the philosophies of cooking, the basics to have on hand, and detailed descriptions of necessary equipment and ingredients. He tells you which wok to buy (the cheap one), and why it can pay to flirt with the fishmonger. There are sections on seasoning, a good long list of foods that pair well, and a large collection of recipes for soup, pasta, rice, vegetables, fish, meat, pastry and desserts. These are straightforward, easy-to-make dishes adapted for the North American cook — every one a springboard to something new, different and delicious. And with full-colour photography throughout the book, Appetite is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Lara also recommended this book, saying, “The cookbook that changed how I viewed the genre was Appetite by Nigel Slater. It has the most delicious food in the most welcoming way.”

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Snacking Cakes

Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi

Author: Yossy Arefi
Released: October 27, 2020 by Clarkson Potter
Genre:

Find sweet satisfaction with 50 easy, everyday cake recipes made with simple ingredients, one bowl, and no fuss.

In Snacking Cakes, the indulgent, treat-yourself concept of cake becomes an anytime, easy-to-make treat. Expert baker Yossy Arefi’s collection of no-fuss recipes is perfect for anyone who craves near-instant cake satisfaction. With little time and effort, these single-layered cakes are made using only one bowl (no electric mixers needed) and utilize ingredients likely sitting in your cupboard. They’re baked in the basic pans you already own and shine with only the most modest adornments: a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of glaze, a dollop of whipped cream.

From Cornmeal Peach Upside-Down Cake and Sweet Potato Cinnamon Sugar Cake to Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cake and Nutty Pistachio Yogurt Cake, these humble, comforting treats couldn’t be simpler to create. Yossy’s rustic, elegant style combines accessible, diverse flavors in intriguing ways that make them easy for kids to join in on the baking, but special enough to serve company or bring to potlucks. Whether enjoyed in a quiet moment alone with a cup of morning coffee or with friends hungrily gathered around the pan, these ever-pleasing, undemanding cakes will become part of your daily ritual.

Amanda and I, along with several people who answered my call on social media, mentioned this book, and the sequel, Snacking BakesI used this cookbook to make a spice cake one year when the neighbors and I were Kvetch Drinking together, and there was none left. Probably because I had at least 2 pieces. 

Dr. Sarah Hegge said, “I always recommend this one for new bakers because everything (except for one frosting recipe?) can be made without a stand mixer. Plus, all the cakes work in an 8×8 pan. She also gives lots of ideas for variations on the recipes.”

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman

Author: Deb Perelman
Released: October 30, 2012 by Knopf
Genre:

The long-awaited cookbook by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen—home cook, mom, photographer, and celebrated food blogger.

Deb Perelman loves to cook. It’s as simple as that. She isn’t a chef or a restaurant owner—she’s never even waitressed. Cooking in her tiny Manhattan kitchen was, at least at first, for special occasions—and, too often, an unnecessarily daunting venture. Deb found herself overwhelmed by the number of recipes available to her. Have you ever searched for the perfect birthday cake on Google? You’ll get more than three million results. How do you choose? Where do you start? What if you pick a recipe that’s downright bad?

Deb is a firm believer that there are no bad cooks, just bad recipes. She has dedicated herself to finding the best of the best and adapting them for the everyday cook—the ones with little time to spare, little money to burn on unpronounceable ingredients, and little help in the kitchen. And now, with the same warmth, candor, and can-do spirit her blog is known for, Deb presents her first cookbook—more than 100 new recipes, plus a few favorites from her site, all gorgeously illustrated with hundreds of Deb’s beautiful color photographs.

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook is all about approachable, uncompromised home cooking: stepped-up comfort foods, stewy dishes for windy winter afternoons, an apple cake that will answer all questions: “What should my new signature dessert be?” “What is always welcome at a potluck?” “What did Deb consume almost single-handedly a week after having a baby?” These are the recipes you bookmark and use so often they become your own; recipes you slip to a friend who wants to impress her new in-laws; and recipes with simple ingredients that yield amazing results in a minimum amount of time. Deb tells you how to host a brunch and still sleep in—plus what to make for it!—and the essential items you need for your own kitchen. From salads and slaws that make perfect side dishes (or a full meal) to savory tarts and pizzas; from Mushroom Bourguignon to Pancetta, White Bean and Swiss Chard Pot Pies; from Buttered Popcorn Cookies to Chocolate Hazelnut Layer Cake, Deb knows just the thing for a Tuesday night, or your most special occasion.

The Smitten Kitchen newsletter is among my must-reads (alas, it is a substank, my apologies) and the cookbooks get major praise from all quarters as well. Amanda has all of them, while I love Smitten Kitchen Every Day – especially some of the salad recipes.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook

The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen

Author: America's Test Kitchen
Released: March 1, 2015 by America's Test Kitchen
Genre:

Best-Selling vegetarian cookbook destined to become a classic.

Everyone knows they should eat more vegetables and grains, but that prospect can be intimidating with recipes that are often too complicated for everyday meals or lacking in fresh appeal or flavor. For the first time ever, the test kitchen has devoted its considerable resources to creating a vegetarian cookbook for the way we want to eat today. The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook is a wide-ranging collection of boldly flavorful vegetarian recipes covering hearty vegetable mains, rice and grains, beans and soy as well as soups, appetizers, snacks, and salads.

More than 300 recipes are fast (start to finish in 45 minutes or less), 500 are gluten-free, and 250 are vegan and are all highlighted with icons on the pages. The book contains stunning color photography throughout that shows the appeal of these veggie-packed dishes. In addition, almost 500 color photos illustrate vegetable prep and tricky techniques as well as key steps within recipes.

We have many, many vegetarian cookbooks on our rec list, including this one, which Amanda loves: “really robust, and has a good key when it comes to vegan/vegetarian, gluten free, and meals in under 45 minutes.”

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Silver Palate Cookbook

The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso

Author: Julee Rosso
Released: April 20, 2007 by Workman
Genre: ,

“This is the book that changed the way America cooks.”–Barbara Kafka

The Silver Palate Cookbook is the beloved classic that brings a new passion for food and entertaining into American homes. Its 350 flawlessly seasoned, stand-out dishes make every occasion special, and its recipes, featuring vibrant, pure ingredients, are a pleasure to cook. Brimming with kitchen wisdom, cooking tips, information about domestic and imported ingredients, menus, quotes, and lore, this timeless book feels as fresh and exciting as the day it was first published. Every reader will fall in love with cooking all over again.

This twenty-fifth anniversary edition is enriched with full-color photographs throughout.

Kris C. recommended this cookbook, and that rec was echoed by MANY people. I have a turkey chili recipe adapted from this book that makes enough to serve three fire departments and a PTA potluck. It’s a classic for a reason!

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The Moosewood Cookbook: 40th Anniversary Edition

The Moosewood Cookbook: 40th Anniversary Edition by Mollie Katzen

Author: Mollie Katzen
Released: November 4, 2014 by Ten Speed Press
Genre: ,

The Moosewood Cookbook has inspired generations to cook simple, healthy, and seasonal food. A classic listed as one of the top ten best-selling cookbooks of all time by the New York Times, this 40th anniversary edition of Mollie Katzen’s seminal book will be a treasured addition to the cookbook libraries of fans young and old.

In 1974, Mollie Katzen hand-wrote, illustrated, and locally published a spiral-bound notebook of recipes for vegetarian dishes inspired by those she and fellow cooks served at their small restaurant co-op in Ithaca, NY. Several iterations and millions of copies later, the Moosewood Cookbook has become one of the most influential and beloved cookbooks of all time—inducted into the James Beard Award Cookbook Hall of Fame, and coined a Cookbook Classic by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Mollie’s Moosewood Cookbook has inspired generations to fall in love with plant-based home cooking, and, on the fortieth anniversary of that initial booklet, continues to be a seminal, timely, and wholly personal work. With a new introduction by Mollie, this commemorative edition will be a cornerstone for any cookbook collection that long-time fans and those just discovering Moosewood will treasure.

If I didn’t list The Moosewood Cookbook, I’d be doing this list a disservice. I once baby sat for someone who had the edition with all the handwriting and illustrations and there were SO MANY notes on extra pieces of paper inside. I used to read it cover to cover. 

NZJanette said of The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, “It’s so well-loved at my place that we’re on our second copy because the first one fell apart.”

 

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Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Author: Samin Nosrat
Released: April 25, 2017 by Simon & Schuster
Genre:

A visionary new master class in cooking that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements, from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters.

In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everythingcomes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.

Echoing Samin’s own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.

Featuring 150 illustrations and infographics that reveal an atlas to the world of flavor by renowned illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will be your compass in the kitchen. Destined to be a classic, it just might be the last cookbook you’ll ever need.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is one of those cookbooks that gives you good meals and levels up your cooking. Several people on social media proclaimed that this was one of their favorite cookbooks to gift!

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Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book

Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book by Betty Crocker

Author: Betty Crocker
Released: August 2, 2002 by Harvest
Genre: ,

Here is the complete cooky book-more than 450 recipes, dozens of appetizing full-color photographs, and many how-to-do-it sketches. This treasury of cooky baking embraces all tastes-from the old-fashioned and traditional to the new and sophisticated. Plus a large section devoted entirely to holiday cookies. Fun to use. . .perfect to give.

Here’s the classic treasury of cookie baking that so many people grew up with: the beloved 1963 edition of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, now in a brand-new, authentic facsimile of the original book.

Remember baking cookies with Mom or Grandma when you were a kid? The wonderful smell, the spatulas to lick and, best of all, delicious cookies you’d helped to make yourself? If you grew up baking with Betty Crocker, then you probably had this book, filled with all your favorites-from Chewy Molasses Cookies to Chocolate Crinkles to Toffee Squares and many more!

Now, with this authentic reproduction of the original 1963 edition, you can relive those moments, taste the cookies you grew up with and share them with your loved ones. All the charm of the original and all the great recipes are here. Turn to Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book to find:
* An authentic facsimile of the classic 1963 edition packed with all your favorite cookie recipes
* Over 450 recipes, dozens of nostalgic color photographs and charming how-to sketches
* Scrumptious recipes for Holiday Cookies (dozens of Christmas specialties), Family Favorites (for lunchtime, snacktime, anytime), Company Best Cookies (fancy enough for company) and much more

This book is a great gift for new and experienced bakers alike. Only one family copy of this favorite cookbook? Now everyone can have a copy of this classic book!

First, I am never not going to be charmed by “Cooky Book.” Second, this is a classic classic. If you have a family recipe for a particular cookie (sorry, “cooky”) there’s a good chance it came from this book.

Auntie Bog Crone said, “My mom’s fell apart so I had to buy my own. It always makes a fun holiday gift!”

Fibrobabe added, “That’s my sentimental favorite. I have my grandmother’s old copy, which is covered in flour and falling apart, with extra recipes taped in, and my own copy from a reprint 20 years ago. Mom has at least one copy, too. All our best Christmas cookies are from the Cooky Book.”

And Chris Sable added, “My mother-in-law bought me one. It lets me bake the cookies of my spouse’s childhood!”

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The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition

The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th Edition by Betty Crocker

Author: Betty Crocker
Released: October 25, 2022 by Harper Collins
Genre: ,

The fully updated and revised edition of the cookbook that generations of Americans trust, with more than 375 new recipes—including for air fryers, multi cookers, slow cookers, and more—everything the modern home cook needs to confidently cook today.

For the past 100 years, Betty Crocker has helped generations of American home cooks, and this is the cookbook that they’ve come to trust. This 13th edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook is radically refreshed and made with busy families in mind, with more than 375 exclusive, new, and on-trend recipes. Look for 5-ingredient, air fryer, multicooker, and slow cooker recipes throughout, plus ways to use up your on-hand ingredients, dependable cooking guides, and much, much more. For the health-conscious, you’ll find a new veggie-forward chapter, plus gluten-free and vegan recipes, with full nutritional info for all of the 1300+ recipes.

Perfect for makers of any cooking level, this foundational tome offers an introduction to basic kitchen tools and staples plus charts for cooking times and storage, measurement conversions, as well as inspirations to be creative in your cooking. It’s everything a home cook needs for confident cooking and baking at your fingertips, with chapters on appetizers and salads, cookies, cakes, and desserts, and all eating occasions in between. Now in a durable, lay-flat, book format, this comprehensive and indispensable book makes it possible to channel your inner Betty and share great food with those you love.

SBTB reviewer Kiki says, “The Complete Betty Crocker Cookbook which is this mammoth red and white polka dot book that has a little bit of everything to get you started/get ideas.”

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The Elements of Baking

The Elements of Baking by Katarina Cermelj

Author: Katarina Cermelj
Released: October 8, 2024 by Hachette Mobius
Genre: ,

NOMINATED FOR THE 2025 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION BOOK AWARD – BAKING AND DESSERTS

‘As soon as I read The Elements of Baking, I knew it would have a permanent spot on my kitchen bookshelf.’ Dorie Greenspan, New York Times bestselling author of Baking with Dorie

Armed with a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, Katarina Cermelj lays out the science behind baking and the ingredients that make it work, so you can easily adapt your baking to your diet and lifestyle, and still make sure it tastes spectacular. With an abundance of mouth-watering recipes together with quantitative modification rules that you can use to convert any recipe into whatever version you fancy, The Elements of Baking will transform the way you think about ingredients. It will be a constant companion in the kitchen and the book you refer to every time you want to bake.

Just like the recipes of her popular baking blog The Loopy Whisk, the recipes Katarina shares in her latest book are always approachable, reliable and incredibly delicious, ranging from savoury dishes like Gluten-free Cheesy Garlic Pull-apart Bread and Vegan Veggie & Hummus Galette to sweet delicacies like Dairy-free Apple Pie Cupcakes and Egg-free Lemon Swirl Cheesecake Bars. And the gluten-free vegan chapter will delight anyone who has to avoid gluten, eggs and dairy, with recipes such as Gluten-free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls and Guten-free Vegan Lemon Meringue Cake.

With a completely novel approach to baking and modifying recipes, The Elements of Baking will demystify allergy-friendly baking once and for all.

MakeReadGrow said that this book “is really good for folks who are cooking for a variety of special diets.” 

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Saved by Cake

Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes

Author: Marian Keyes
Released: April 2, 2013 by Plume
Genre: ,

Beloved novelist Marian Keyes tackles the kitchen with a new cookbook featuring desserts that are both simple and delicious, with step-by-step instructions and stunning photography.

“To be perfectly blunt about it, my choice sometimes is: I can kill myself, or I can make a dozen cupcakes. Right so, I’ll do the cupcakes and I can kill myself tomorrow.”

In Saved by Cake, Marian Keyes gives a candid account of her recent battle with depression and her discovery that learning to bake was exactly what she needed to regain her joie de vivre. A complete novice in the kitchen, Marian decided to bake a cake for a friend. From the moment she began measuring, she realized that baking was the best way for her to get through each day.

Refreshingly honest and wickedly funny, Saved by Cake shines with Keyes’ inimitable charm and is chockfull of sound advice. Written in Marian’s signature style, her take on baking is honest, witty, extremely accessible and full of fun. Her simple and delicious recipes—from Consistently Reliable Cupcakes to Fridge-set Honeycomb Cheesecake—are guaranteed to tempt even the most jaded palate.

Jack recommended this book on Bluesky, saying, “Saved by Cake about using baking as a way of dealing with depression – [it] alternates personal essays with recipes. (It’s *not* woo-woo “cake will fix everything!”, she’s very open about medical treatment;  it’s a case of “having something creative to focus on can help”.)”

You might recognize the author’s name – she’s the same Marian Keyes who writes contemporary fiction!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Dessert Person

Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz

Author: Claire Saffitz
Released: October 20, 2020 by Clarkson Potter
Genre: ,

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her first cookbook, Bon Appétit and YouTube star of the show Gourmet Makes offers wisdom, problem-solving strategies, and more than 100 meticulously tested, creative, and inspiring recipes.

IACP AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Bon Appétit • NPR • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Salon • Epicurious

“There are no ‘just cooks’ out there, only bakers who haven’t yet been converted. I am a dessert person, and we are all dessert people.”—Claire Saffitz

Claire Saffitz is a baking hero for a new generation. In Dessert Person, fans will find Claire’s signature spin on sweet and savory recipes like Babkallah (a babka-Challah mashup), Apple and Concord Grape Crumble Pie, Strawberry-Cornmeal Layer Cake, Crispy Mushroom Galette, and Malted Forever Brownies. She outlines the problems and solutions for each recipe—like what to do if your pie dough for Sour Cherry Pie cracks (patch it with dough or a quiche flour paste!)—as well as practical do’s and don’ts, skill level, prep and bake time, step-by-step photography, and foundational know-how. With her trademark warmth and superpower ability to explain anything baking related, Claire is ready to make everyone a dessert person.

Dahlia Adler, who recommends LGBTQ+ books for us, loves this book. Claire Saffitz was one of the chefs on the Bon Appetit YouTube channel; her show was Gourmet Makes, which was reverse engineering popular candy and snack food to make a recipe to make at home. 

And I just learned there’s a sequel: What’s for Dessert?

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Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day

Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart

Author: Peter Reinhart
Released: October 13, 2010 by Ten Speed Press
Genre: ,

The renowned baking instructor distills professional techniques down to the basics, delivering artisan bread recipes that anyone with flour and a fridge can bake with ease.

Reinhart begins with the simplest French bread, then moves on to familiar classics such as ciabatta, pizza dough, and soft sandwich loaves, and concludes with fresh specialty items like pretzels, crackers, croissants, and bagels. Each recipe is broken into “Do Ahead” and “On Baking Day” sections, making every step—from preparation through pulling pans from the oven—a breeze, whether you bought your loaf pan yesterday or decades ago. These doughs are engineered to work flawlessly for busy home bakers: most require only a straightforward mixing and overnight fermentation. The result is reliably superior flavor and texture on par with loaves from world-class artisan bakeries, all with little hands-on time.

America’s favorite baking instructor and innovator Peter Reinhart offers time-saving techniques accompanied by full-color, step-by-step photos throughout so that in no time you’ll be producing fresh batches of Sourdough Baguettes, 50% and 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves, Soft and Crusty Cheese Bread, English Muffins, Cinnamon Buns, Panettone, Hoagie Rolls, Chocolate Cinnamon Babka, Fruit-Filled Thumbprint Rolls, Danish, and Best-Ever Biscuits.

Best of all, these high-caliber doughs improve with a longer stay in the fridge, so you can mix once, then portion, proof, and bake whenever you feel like enjoying a piping hot treat.

Dahlia also recommended this book – and listen, I could have bread, gourmet or otherwise, every day, no problem.

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Artisan Sourdough Made Simple

Artisan Sourdough Made Simple by Emilie Raffa

Author: Emilie Raffa
Released: October 24, 2017 by Page Street Publishing
Genre: ,

The easy way to bake bread at home—all you need is FLOUR, WATER and SALT to get started!

Begin your sourdough journey with the bestselling beginner’s book on sourdough baking—over 200,000 copies sold! Many bakers speak of their sourdough starter as if it has a magical life of its own, so it can be intimidating to those new to the sourdough world; fortunately with Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, Emilie Raffa removes the fear and proves that baking with sourdough is easy, and can fit into even a working parent’s schedule! Any new baker is inevitably hit with question after question. Emilie has the answers. As a professionally trained chef and avid home baker, she uses her experience to guide readers through the science and art of sourdough.

With step-by-step master recipe guides, readers learn how to create and care for their own starters, plus they get more than 60 unique recipes to bake a variety of breads that suit their every need. Featured recipes include:
– Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Bread
– Cinnamon Raisin Swirl
– Blistered Asiago Rolls with Sweet Apples and Rosemary
– Multigrain Sandwich Bread
– No-Knead Tomato Basil Focaccia
– Raspberry Gingersnap Twist
– Sunday Morning Bagels
– and so many more!

With the continuing popularity of the whole foods movement, home cooks are returning to the ancient practice of bread baking, and sourdough is rising to the forefront. Through fermentation, sourdough bread is easier on digestion—often enough for people who are sensitive to gluten—and healthier.

Artisan Sourdough Made Simple gives everyone the knowledge and confidence to join the fun, from their first rustic loaf to beyond.

This book has 65 recipes and 65 full-page photographs.

My younger child was gifted a copy of this book and I have stolen it. (Sorry!). This is the recipe I use for sourdough every other week. My starter’s name is Steve Glutenberg, and we have a very chill relationship (Steve lives in the fridge). The recipes in this book are outstanding, and the every day sourdough I can make with my eyes closed at this point. 

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American Cake

American Cake by Anne Byrn

Author: Anne Byrn
Released: September 6, 2016 by Rodale
Genre:

Cakes in America aren’t just about sugar, flour, and frosting. They have a deep, rich history that developed as our country grew. Cakes, more so than other desserts, are synonymous with celebration and coming together for happy times. They’re an icon of American culture, reflecting heritage, region, season, occasion, and era. And they always have been, throughout history.

In American Cake, Anne Byrn, creator of the New York Timesbestselling series The Cake Mix Doctor, takes you on a journey through America’s past to present with more than 125 authentic recipes for our best-loved and beautiful cakes and frostings. Tracing cakes chronologically from the dark, moist gingerbread of New England to the elegant pound cake, the hardscrabble Appalachian stack cake, war cakes, deep-South caramel, Hawaiian Chantilly, and the modern California cakes of orange and olive oil, Byrn shares recipes, stories, and a behind-the-scenes look into what cakes we were baking back in time. From the well-known Angel Food, Red Velvet, Pineapple Upside-Down, Gooey Butter, and Brownie to the lesser-known Burnt Leather, Wacky Cake, Lazy Daisy, and Cold Oven Pound Cake, this is a cookbook for the cook, the traveler, or anyone who loves a good story. And all recipes have been adapted to the modern kitchen.

 

TJ Alexander recommended this cookbook, saying it “has some great recipes and is a fascinating culinary history!”

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The Joy of Cooking

The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer

Author: Irma Rombauer
Released: November 1, 1997 by Plume
Genre:

The Joy of Cooking grows with the times–it has a full roster of American and foreign dishes such as strudel, zabaglione, rijsttafel, and couscous, among many others. In this updated version, all the classic terms you’ll find on menus, such as Provenale, bonne femme, meunire, and Florentine are not merely defined but fully explained so that you can easily concoct the dish in your own home. The whys and the wherefores of the directions are given throughout the book, helping you create recipes you never thought possible. A special emphasis on a vital cooking factor–heat–is added in this new edition. Your best-laid plans can be either made or marred simply by the temperature of a single ingredient. Learn exactly what the results of simmering, blanching, roasting, and braising have on your efforts.

An enlarged discussion on herbs, spices, and seasonings tells you the suitable amount necessary in recipes. With more than 1,000 practical, delightful drawings by Ginnie Hoffman and Ikki Matsumoto, you can learn how to present food correctly and charmingly–from the simplest to the most formal service, how to prepare ingredients with classic tools and techniques, and how to safely preserve the results of your canning and freezing. No necessary detail to your success in cooking has been omitted. Divided into three parts, Foods We Eat, Foods We Heat, and Foods We Keep, The Joy of Cooking contains more than 4,500 recipes with hundreds of them new to this edition. This American household classic is the most essential item for your kitchen.

The Joy of Cooking is probably a classic cookbook’s classic cookbook and was the most recommended title in my replies. It’s terrific, it’s massive, and it has great food in it. TJ Alexander made me legit laugh aloud when they said, “it’s silly but a huge fuck off copy of The Joy of Cooking always feels like a good gift.”

Get you and your loved ones a huge fuck off copy of The Joy of Cooking this year! 

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The Woks of Life

The Woks of Life by Bill Leung

Author: Bill Leung
Released: November 1, 2022 by Clarkson Potter
Genre: ,

JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE • NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • IACP AWARD FINALIST • PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW • “The Woks of Life did something miraculous: It reconnected me to my love of Chinese food and showed me how simple it is to make my favorite dishes myself.”—KEVIN KWAN, author of Crazy Rich Asians

The family behind the acclaimed blog The Woks of Life shares 100 of their favorite home-cooked and restaurant-style Chinese recipes in ”a very special book” (J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab and The Wok)

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: San Francisco Chronicle, Simply Recipes
ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Food & Wine, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Delish, Epicurious

This is the story of a family as told through food. Judy, the mom, speaks to traditional Chinese dishes and cultural backstory. Bill, the dad, worked in his family’s Chinese restaurants and will walk you through how to make a glorious Cantonese Roast Duck. Daughters Sarah and Kaitlin have your vegetable-forward and one-dish recipes covered—put them all together and you have the first cookbook from the funny and poignant family behind the popular blog The Woks of Life.

In addition to recipes for Mini Char Siu Bao, Spicy Beef Biang Biang Noodles, Cantonese Pork Belly Fried Rice, and Salt-and-Pepper Fried Oyster Mushrooms, there are also helpful tips and tricks throughout, including an elaborate rundown of the Chinese pantry, explanations of essential tools (including the all-important wok), and insight on game-changing Chinese cooking secrets like how to “velvet” meat to make it extra tender and juicy.

Whether you’re new to Chinese cooking or if your pantry is always stocked with bean paste and chili oil, you’ll find lots of inspiration and trustworthy recipes that will become a part of your family story, too.

Courtney Milan recommended this one, saying it’s an amazing cookbook. It’s won so many awards and I want to eat what’s on the cover. 

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The Korean Vegan

The Korean Vegan by Joanne Lee Moliaro

Author: Joanne Lee Moliaro
Released: October 12, 2021 by Avery
Genre: ,

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER •NAMED ONE OF THE BEST NEW COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Epicurious • EATER • Stained Page • Infatuation • Spruce Eats • Publisher’s Weekly • Food52 • Toronto Star

The dazzling debut cookbook from Joanne Lee Molinaro, the home cook and spellbinding storyteller behind the online sensation @thekoreanvegan**

Joanne Lee Molinaro has captivated millions of fans with her powerfully moving personal tales of love, family, and food. In her debut cookbook, she shares a collection of her favorite Korean dishes, some traditional and some reimagined, as well as poignant narrative snapshots that have shaped her family history.

As Joanne reveals, she’s often asked, “How can you be vegan and Korean?” Korean cooking is, after all, synonymous with fish sauce and barbecue. And although grilled meat is indeed prevalent in some Korean food, the ingredients that filled out bapsangs on Joanne’s table growing up—doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (chili sauce), dashima (seaweed), and more—are fully plant-based, unbelievably flavorful, and totally Korean. Some of the recipes come straight from her childhood: Jjajangmyun, the rich Korean-Chinese black bean noodles she ate on birthdays, or the humble Gamja Guk, a potato-and-leek soup her father makes. Some pay homage: Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake is an ode to the two foods that saved her mother’s life after she fled North Korea.

The Korean Vegan Cookbook is a rich portrait of the immigrant experience with life lessons that are universal. It celebrates how deeply food and the ones we love shape our identity.

Another Milan recommendation: “even if you aren’t vegan, is such a good reference for making delicious things that don’t use meat.” This rec was backed up by Bitterlina, who said, “Seconding The Korean Vegan. The meals are so delicious that you don’t even miss the meat.”

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Korean American

Korean American by Eric Kim

Author: Eric Kim
Released: March 29, 2022 by Clarkson Potter
Genre: ,

**NEW YORK TIMES AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER • An homage to what it means to be Korean American with delectable recipes that explore how new culinary traditions can be forged to honor both your past and your present.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ART OF EATING PRIZE • IACP AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Bon Appétit, The Boston Globe, Saveur, NPR, Food & Wine, Salon, Vice, Epicurious, Publishers Weekly, Simply Recipes

“This is such an important book: an enquiry into identity, and a rich repository of memories and deliciousness.”—Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat**

New York Times staff writer Eric Kim grew up in Atlanta, the son of two Korean immigrants. Food has always been central to his story, from Friday-night Korean barbecue with his family to hybridized Korean-ish meals for one—like Gochujang-Buttered Radish Toast and Caramelized-Kimchi Baked Potatoes—that he makes in his tiny New York City apartment. In his debut cookbook, Eric shares these recipes alongside insightful, touching stories and stunning images shot by photographer Jenny Huang.

Playful, poignant, and vulnerable, Korean American also includes essays on subjects ranging from the life-changing act of leaving home and returning as an adult, to what Thanksgiving means to a first-generation family, complete with a full holiday menu—all the while teaching readers about the Korean pantry, the history of Korean cooking in America, and the importance of white rice in Korean cuisine. Recipes like Gochugaru Shrimp and Grits, Salt-and-Pepper Pork Chops with Vinegared Scallions, and Smashed Potatoes with Roasted-Seaweed Sour Cream Dip demonstrate Eric’s prowess at introducing Korean pantry essentials to comforting American classics, while dishes such as Cheeseburger Kimbap and Crispy Lemon-Pepper Bulgogi with Quick-Pickled Shallots do the opposite by tinging traditional Korean favorites with beloved American flavor profiles. Baked goods like Milk Bread with Maple Syrup and Gochujang Chocolate Lava Cakes close out the narrative on a sweet note.

In this book of recipes and thoughtful insights, especially about his mother, Jean, Eric divulges not only what it means to be Korean American but how, through food and cooking, he found acceptance, strength, and the confidence to own his story.

Shana, one of the SBTB reviewers, says, “Korean American by Eric Kim is a flawless cookbook. I don’t know if that dude has ever made a bad recipe.”

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Start Here

Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly

Author: Sohla El-Waylly
Released: October 31, 2023 by Knopf
Genre: ,

**NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AND IACP BOOK AWARD WINNER • Change the way you think about cooking! In this epic guide to better eating, the chef, recipe developer, and video producer Sohla El-Waylly reimagines what a cookbook can be, teaching home cooks of all skill levels how cooking really works.

“The new Joy of Cooking.” —The New York Times

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, NPR, Epicurious, The Boston Globe

“The book I wish someone had handed me when I began my own journey as a cook.”—from the Foreword by Samin Nosrat, New York Times bestselling author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat**

“A book to return to again and again and again.” —Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times bestselling author of Plenty and Ottolenghi Simple

A practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen, Start Here is a must-have master class in leveling up your cooking.

Across a dozen technique-themed chapters—from “Temperature Management 101” and “Break it Down & Get Saucy” to “Go to Brown Town,” “All About Butter,” and “Getting to Know Dough”—Sohla El-Waylly explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills that you need to become a more intuitive, inventive cook.

A one-stop resource, regardless of what you’re hungry for, Start Here gives equal weight to savory and sweet dishes, with more than two hundred mouthwatering recipes, including:

Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Radishes & Nuoc Cham
Charred Lemon Risotto
Chilled Green Tahini Soba
Lemon, Pecorino & Potato Pizza
Fruity-Doodle Cookies
Masa & Buttermilk Tres Leches
Packed with practical advice and scientific background, and an almost endless assortment of recipe variations, along with tips, guidance, and how-tos, Start Here is culinary school—without the student loans.

Shana says, “I’m currently reading Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly and I think it would be a great cookbook gift, too.” 

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The I Hate to Cook Book

The I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken

Author: Peg Bracken
Released: September 24, 2024 by Grand Central Publishing
Genre: ,

The witty classic cookbook, revised & updated, full of quick & easy recipes for whether you’re feeding your family or hosting a party.

“If you ever wondered how your mother was able to make a cocktail, a casserole, and a cheesecake into a meal, the answer is probably Peg Bracken, whose wonderful book was a delicious mashup of Martha Stewart and Amy Sedaris for a previous generation.” —Amy Dickinson, “Ask Amy” advice columnist and author of The Mighty Queen of Freeville: A Story of Surprising Second Chances

“There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who don’t cook out of and have NEVER cooked out of I Hate to Cook Book, and the other kind . . . the I Hate to Cook people consist mainly of those who find other things more interesting and less fattening, and so they do it as seldom as possible. Today there is an Annual Culinary Olympics, with hundreds of cooks from many countries ardently competing. But we who hate to cook have had our own Olympics for years, seeing who can get out of the kitchen the fastest and stay out the longest.” —Peg Bracken

Philosopher’s Chowder. Skinny Meatloaf. Fat Man’s Shrimp. Immediate Fudge Cake. These are just a few of the beloved recipes from Peg Bracken’s classic I Hate to Cook Book. Written in a time when women were expected to have full, delicious meals on the table for their families every night, Peg Bracken offered women who didn’t revel in this obligation an alternative: quick, simple meals that took minimal effort but would still satisfy.
50 years later, times have certainly changed—but the appeal of The I Hate to Cook Book hasn’t. This book is for everyone, men and women alike, who wants to get from cooking hour to cocktail hour in as little time as possible.

“While much has changed since 1960, many people still hate to cook. This revised edition remains as delightful as ever, with its simplicity, easy-to-follow recipes, and whimsical illustrations. . . . This updated classic is highly recommended.” — Library Journal

 

This is another classic, recommended by Lynn G who says, “Peg Bracken’s I Hate to Cook Book is great fun, as well as being full of good tips.” 

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Crumb

Crumb by Ruby Tandoh

Author: Ruby Tandoh
Released: April 28, 2015 by Ten Speed Press
Genre:

A baking cookbook from the young and talented Ruby Tandoh, with a focus on charming, flavorful, and practical dishes that celebrate the pleasure of casual baking.

Crumb’s explanatory and evocative prose promotes everyday baking without sacrificing the joy of the craft, defying the style of both showy, highly decorated baking as well as the dry, informative tone of “serious” baking books. A delight to read as well as to bake from, recipes like Sweet Potato Doughnuts, Pecan and Rosemary Tartlets, Raspberry Whisky Pavlova, and Blood Orange Polenta Cake are interspersed with the virtues of different types of apples, a reminiscence about Belgian buns, and a passage on the need to knead. Covering a range of baking projects from sweet to savory, chapters include cakes, cookies, bread, pastries, pies, tarts, and more.

GBBO Fans Rejoice: all of Ruby Tandoh’s cookbooks are highly recommended! Kate recommended Crumb “for anyone with GBBO dreams. Great variety of baking styles (cookies, dessert, bread) with the idea that you are a new home baker without a lot of fancy equipment. Great explanations about techniques.”

Karie said, “Ruby Tandoh’s Cook As You Are is a staple in my kitchen. I really like its ethos and the recipes are great.”

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Flavour: Eat What You Love

Flavour: Eat What You Love by Ruby Tandoh

Author: Ruby Tandoh
Released: July 21, 2016 by Random House
Genre: ,

Over 170 recipes – sweet and savoury – for every day, every budget, every taste, in a cookbook that puts your appetite first from the Sunday Times top ten bestselling author of Eat Up.

Organised by ingredient, Flavour helps you to follow your cravings, or whatever you have in the fridge, to a recipe. Creative, approachable and inspiring, this is cooking that, while focusing on practicality and affordability, leaves you free to go wherever your appetite takes you. It is a celebration of the joy of cooking and eating.

Ruby encourages us to look at the best ways to cook each ingredient; when it’s in season, and which flavours pair well with it. With this thoughtful approach, every ingredient has space to shine; including store cupboard staples. These are recipes that feel good to make, eat and share, and each plate of food is assembled with care and balance.

Including Hot and Sour Lentil Soup, Ghanaian Groundnut Chicken Stew, Glazed Blueberry Fritter Doughnuts, Mystic Pizza and Carrot and Feta Bites with Lime Yoghurt, this is a cookbook that focuses above all on flavour and freedom – to eat what you love.

Larissa loves this cookbook: “it has several of my all-time favourite recipes, with clear instructions and great photographs. The ‘Kale, Sweet Potato and Mozzarella Pie’ is actually an amazing holiday showstopper for those cutting meat for any reason.”

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5-Ingredient Cooking for Two

5-Ingredient Cooking for Two by Robin Donovan

Author: Robin Donovan
Released: June 9, 2020 by Callisto
Genre: ,

Simple and flavorful 5-ingredient meals—tailor-made for your table of two

Small-batch cooking is a great way to save time and reduce waste—and with just a few ingredients, you can truly let the natural flavors of your dishes shine. This cookbook simplifies cooking for two, highlighting wholesome, healthy recipes requiring only five everyday ingredients.

You’ll find 100 delicious two-person meals, from Breakfast Quesadillas to Blueberry Clafoutis, as well as budget-savvy shopping lists, tips on meal planning, and easy cooking techniques to elevate each flavorful dish.

Enjoy wholesome meals made for two with:

Tasty variations—Make your dishes special with elegant garnishes and pairing tips.
Quick and easy recipes—Spend less time in the kitchen with 30-minute meals that can be made in one pan or one pot, or make-ahead freezer-friendly options.
Tips and tricks—Reduce cook times and cost with advice on making your own spice blends, buying in bulk, and minimizing food waste.
Scale down your recipe yields without sacrificing taste with this delicious couple’s cookbook.

Kiki says, “My most used of the last year is 5-Ingredient Cooking for Two by Robin Donovan, which is incredible for getting buildable ideas.”

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Turnip Greens & Tortillas

Turnip Greens & Tortillas by Eddie Hernandez

Author: Eddie Hernandez
Released: November 21, 2023 by Harvest
Genre: ,

From the chef/restaurateur of a Bon Appétit “Top American Restaurant,” southern fare with a Mexican flair that is “thrifty, practical and delicious” (New York Times).

USA Today called Taqueria del Sol “a runaway success.” Bon Appétit wrote: “Move over, Chipotle!” The fast-casual food of Eddie Hernandez, the James Beard-nominated chef/co-owner of the restaurant, lands on the commonalities of Southern and Mexican food, with dishes like Memphis barbecue pork tacos, chicken pot pie served in a “bowl” of a puffed tortilla, turnip greens in “pot likker” spiked with chiles, or the “Eddie Palmer,” sweet tea with a jab of tequila. Eddie never hesitates to break with purists to make food taste better, adding sugar to creamy grits to balance the jalapeños, or substituting tomatillos in fried green tomatoes for a more delicate texture. Throughout, “Eddie’s Way” sidebars show how to make each dish even more special.

Atrab says that Turnip Greens & Tortillas “combines Southern and Mexican cooking. I use it two or three times a month. Delicious.”

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Simply Julia

Simply Julia by Julia Turshen

Author: Julia Turshen
Released: February 27, 2024 by Harper
Genre: ,

“A beautiful, next-level, parent-friendly cookbook that will have a prime position on my counter for a long time to come.” —Jennifer Garner

Julia Turshen has always been cooking. As a kid, she skipped the Easy-Bake Oven and went straight to the real thing. Throughout her life, cooking has remained a constant, and as fans of her popular books know, Julia’s approach to food is about so much more than putting dinner on the table—it is about love, community, connection, and nourishment of the body and soul.

In Simply Julia, readers will find 110 foolproof recipes for more nutritious takes on the simple, comforting meals Julia cooks most often. With practical chapters such as weeknight go-tos, make-ahead mains, vegan one-pot meals, chicken recipes, easy baked goods, and more, Simply Julia provides endlessly satisfying options comprised of accessible and affordable ingredients. Think dishes like Stewed Chicken with Sour Cream + Chive Dumplings, Hasselback Carrots with Smoked Paprika, and Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes—the kind of flavorful yet unfussy food everyone wants to make at home.

In addition to her tried-and-true recipes, readers will find Julia’s signature elements—her “Seven Lists” (Seven Things I Learned from Being a Private Chef that Make Home Cooking Easier; Seven Ways to Use Leftover Buttermilk; Seven Ways to Use Leftover Egg Whites or Egg Yolks), menu suggestions, and helpful adaptations for dietary needs, along with personal essays and photos and gorgeous food photography.

Like Melissa Clark’s Dinner or Ina Garten’s Modern Comfort Food, Simply Julia is sure to become an instant classic, the kind of cookbook that will inspire home cooks to create great meals for years to come.

Kate C recommends Simply Julia by Julia Turshen because it “is possibly one of the best cookbooks out there – for folks who want to eat vegetables, get enough protein, eat an interesting variety of flavors, and still make food their kids will eat. MULTIPLE recipes on repeat in our home.”

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Turtle Island

Turtle Island by Sean Sherman

Author: Sean Sherman
Released: November 11, 2025 by Clarkson Potter
Genre: ,

**NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Uncover the stories behind the foods that have linked the natural environments, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples across North America for millennia through more than 100 ancestral and modern recipes from three-time James Beard Award–winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman.

“I’ve been completely seduced by Sean Sherman’s new book. This is so much more than enticing recipes and gorgeous photos.”—Robin Wall Kimmerer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass and The Serviceberry

“A collection of the stories that tell deeper truths about our country and the people who have always been here.”—José Andrés, chef and founder of World Central Kitchen**

Growing up on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, Oglala Lakota chef Sean Sherman understood that his people’s food was rich in flavor, heritage, and connection to the land. It was in the midst of a successful restaurant career mainly cooking European cuisines that he realized the lack of understanding about Native American foodways—a revelation that sent him on a journey to learn more about how Indigenous communities have preserved and evolved their cuisines through the centuries. Now a leading figure in the Indigenous food movement, he shares in Turtle Island the unique and diverse Native foodways of North America through both traditional and modern recipes made with ingredients that have nourished Indigenous peoples physically, spiritually, and culturally for generations.

Organized by region, this book delves into the rich culinary landscapes of Turtle Island—as many Indigenous cultures call this continent. Learn to eat with the seasons, consume meat and fish nose-to-tail, focus on plant-forward dishes, and discover how to better feed yourself. Alongside delicious recipes like Smoked Bison Ribeye, Wild-Rice Crusted Walleye Cakes, Charred Rainbow Trout with Grilled Ramps, Sweet Potato Soup with Dried Venison and Chile Oil, Sunflower Seed “Risotto,” and Sweet Corn Pudding with Woodland Berry Sauce (and so much more), you’ll see the inspiring Indigenous food scene through Sean’s eyes.

Exemplifying how Native foodways can teach us all to connect with the natural world around us, Turtle Island features rich narrative histories and spotlights the communities producing, gathering, and cooking these foods, including remarkable stories of ingenuity and adaptation that capture the resilience of Indigenous communities.

Trek recommended this book, which is about the food, recipes, and traditional techniques of North American Indigenous people – and the recipes sound incredible.

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Vegan Soul Kitchen

Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry

Author: Bryant Terry
Released: September 24, 2024 by Balance
Genre: ,

James Beard Award-winning chef Bryant Terry’s first cookbook, a vegan homage to Southern, African American, and Afro-Caribbean food

One of the foremost voices in food activism and justice, Bryant Terry brings soul food back to its roots with plant-based, farm-to-table, real food recipes that leave out heavy salt and refined sugar, “bad” fats, and unhealthy cooking techniques, and leave in the down-home flavor. Vegan Soul Kitchen recipes use fresh, whole, healthy ingredients and cooking methods with a focus on local, seasonal, sustainably raised food. Bryant developed these vegan recipes through the prism of the African Diaspora-cutting, pasting, reworking, and remixing African, Caribbean, African-American, Native American, and European staples, cooking techniques, and distinctive dishes to create something familiar, comforting, and deliciously unique. Reinterpreting popular dishes from African and Caribbean countries as well as his favorite childhood dishes, Named one of the best vegetarian/vegan cookbooks of the last 25 years by Cooking Light Magazine, Vegan Soul Kitchen reinvents African-American and Southern cuisine — capitalizing on the complex flavors of the tradition, without the animal products.

With recipes for: Double Mustard Greens & Roasted Yam Soup; Cajun-Creole-Spiced Tempeh Pieces with Creamy Grits; Caramelized Grapefruit, Avocado, and Watercress Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette; and Sweet Cornmeal-Coconut Butter Drop Biscuits and many more.

Derek V recommended this book by saying, “it got the skeptical Jamaican aunties asking for seconds!” Which is very high praise. 

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Jubilee

Jubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin

Author: Toni Tipton-Martin
Released: November 5, 2019 by Clarkson Potter
Genre: ,

“A celebration of African American cuisine right now, in all of its abundance and variety.”—Tejal Rao, The New York Times

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • IACP AWARD WINNER • IACP BOOK OF THE YEAR

TONI TIPTON-MARTIN NAMED THE 2021 JULIA CHILD AWARD RECIPIENT AND THE 2025 WINNER OF THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

A BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, NPR, Chicago Tribune, The Atlantic, BuzzFeed, Food52

Throughout her career, Toni Tipton-Martin has shed new light on the history, breadth, and depth of African American cuisine. She’s introduced us to black cooks, some long forgotten, who established much of what’s considered to be our national cuisine. After all, if Thomas Jefferson introduced French haute cuisine to this country, who do you think actually cooked it?

In Jubilee, Tipton-Martin brings these masters into our kitchens. Through recipes and stories, we cook along with these pioneering figures, from enslaved chefs
 to middle- and upper-class writers and entrepreneurs. With more than 100 recipes, from classics such as Sweet Potato Biscuits, Seafood Gumbo, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Pecan Pie with Bourbon to lesser-known but even more decadent dishes like Bourbon & Apple Hot Toddies, Spoon Bread, and Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne, Jubilee presents techniques, ingredients, and dishes that show the roots of African American cooking—deeply beautiful, culturally diverse, fit for celebration.

Praise for Jubilee

“There are precious few feelings as nice as one that comes from falling in love with a cookbook. . . . New techniques, new flavors, new narratives—everything so thrilling you want to make the recipes over and over again . . . this has been my experience with Toni Tipton-Martin’s Jubilee.”—Sam Sifton, The New York Times

“Despite their deep roots, the recipes—even the oldest ones—feel fresh and modern, a testament to the essentiality of African-American gastronomy to all of American cuisine.”—The New Yorker

“Jubilee is part-essential history lesson, part-brilliantly researched culinary artifact, and wholly functional, not to mention deeply delicious.”—Kitchn

“Tipton-Martin has given us the gift of a clear view of the generosity of the black hands that have flavored and shaped American cuisine for over two centuries.”—Taste

Cynthia says that she has so many cookbooks she loves, “this week I’ll mention Jubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin. Every recipe has been tested to the ends of the earth so there are no duds. Plus, the historical detail about African American cooking is fascinating.”

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Made in India

Made in India by Meera Sodha

Author: Meera Sodha
Released: September 15, 2015 by Flatiron Books
Genre: ,

**The best Indian food is cooked (and eaten) at home.

Real Indian food is fresh, simple, and packed with flavor. In Made In India, Meera Sodha introduces you to the food she grew up eating every day. Unlike the fare you get at your local Indian takeout joint, her food is vibrant and surprisingly quick and easy to make.**

Meera serves up a feast of over 130 delicious recipes collected from three generations of her family. On the menu is everything from hot chapatis to street food (chili paneer; beet and feta samosas), fragrant curries (spinach and salmon, or perfect cinnamon lamb curry) to colorful side dishes (pomegranate and mint raita; kachumbar salad), and mouthwatering desserts (mango, lime, and passion fruit jello; pistachio and saffron kulfi). Made In India will change the way you cook, eat, and think about Indian food forever.

808 says that this is “the cookbook that I checked out from the library and now want to be gifted. [It has] really approachable and restaurant level Indian food recipes.” I am so in.

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A Treasury of Great Recipes, 50th Anniversary Edition

A Treasury of Great Recipes, 50th Anniversary Edition by Vincent Price

Author: Vincent Price
Released: October 9, 2015 by Dover
Genre: ,

“A collectible classic. With his cookbook in print again, Vincent Price lives on.” — NPR

“The rare cookbook that is still relevant.” — Zanne Early Stewart, former editor, Gourmet

“I think the recipes in this cookbook are classic and still resonate with Americans today.” — Chef Thomas Keller, Per Se and Bouchon restaurants

“The Proust in all of us will relish the profiles of ghosts like Le Pavillon and the Forum of the Twelve Caesars in New York, the original La Pyramide in France and Bali in Amsterdam.” — The New York Times

“Good cooking is where you find it,” according to the authors of this unique collection, whose international smorgasbord ranges from the haute cuisine of Europe’s finest restaurants to the juicy hot dogs at Dodger Stadium. In perhaps the first celebrity cookbook, famed actor Vincent Price and his wife, Mary, present mouthwatering recipes from around the world in simplified, unpretentious forms that anyone can make and enjoy. Selected from London’s The Ivy, Madrid’s Palace Hotel, New York’s Sardi’s, and other legendary establishments, the recipes are accompanied by witty commentaries, while color photos and atmospheric drawings by Fritz Kredel make this one of the most beautiful books of its kind. Includes a Retrospective Preface by the couple’s daughter, Victoria Price, and a new Foreword by Wolfgang Puck.

“A perfectly preserved snapshot of food culture in 1965. Price used his considerable resources to collect extraordinary dining experiences across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, and then documented and opined like a madman.” — Saveur

“The real joy of A Treasury of Great Recipes is the way it transports you to another world.” — The New York Journal Review of Books

This title is also available secondhand at Albris.com and 

John Hudgens suggested this book, and if you know any horror fans who also love cooking, they’d probably be over the moon about this one: “Vincent and Mary Price’s A Treasury of Great Recipes taken from restaurants around the world, which was reprinted a few years back for its 50th anniversary…

Yes, *that* Vincent Price… :)”


What about you? What are your favorite cookbooks to use and gift to others? 

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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Posted by Amanda

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

RECOMMENDED: The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman is $2.99! This is book two in the Ill-Mannered Ladies series. Lara reviewed both book one and two, and gave this one a B+.

In Regency England, the eccentric Colebrook sisters are amateur detectives who use their wits and invisibility as “old maids” to fight injustice in this delightful and fiercely feminist novel of mystery and adventure from New York Times bestselling author Alison Goodman.

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister, Hester, from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take Hester and her lover into their home. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. No easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Rebel in the Deep

Rebel in the Deep by Katee Robert is $1.99! Lara, who has read a lot of Robert’s romances, gave this one a C-. But if you’re looking to collect all books in the Crimson Sails series (this is book three), this is a good deal.

The rebellion’s fight turns into a battle of the heart in this pulse-pounding conclusion to the Crimson Sails trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert.

Nox has been steadfastly working for the rebellion for years. They don’t ask for much in return, except for one crucial their ex, the noble Bastian, stays as far away from them as possible. To say things ended poorly between them is an understatement . . . and it’s the only relationship Nox has never quite recovered from.

But now the rules have changed. Siobhan, the rebel leader, has emerged from hiding to tell Nox that Bastian’s been taken captive and the secrets he holds tight are in danger of being revealed. The fate of the entire rebellion now rests on Nox and Siobhan’s ability to rescue Bastian from a Cŵn Annwn ship.

Saving Bastian is only the start of their hardships, as the trio is tracked by ferocious pirates across Threshold. And Nox’s complicated relationships and entanglements with Bastian and Siobhan put not only their life at risk but their heart on the line.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Art of Scandal

The Art of Scandal by Regina Black is $3.99! This was mentioned on a podcast episode with librarian Robin Bradford, who had this high up on her TBR pile.

“Love would be so much easier if it were perfect…”

On the night of her husband Matt’s fortieth birthday, Rachel Abbott receives a sexy, explicit text from her husband that she quickly realizes was meant for another woman. Divorce is inevitable, and Rachel is determined not to leave her thirteen-year marriage empty handed. Meanwhile, Matt, a rising star mayor with his eye on the White House, can’t afford a messy split in the middle of his reelection campaign. They strike a deal: Rachel gets one million dollars and their lavish house in the wealthy DC suburb of Oasis Springs, as long as she keeps playing the ideal Black trophy wife until the election.

Then Rachel meets Nathan Vasquez, a very handsome, very lost twenty-six-year-old artist, and their connection makes Rachel forget about being the perfect politician’s wife. As Rachel reawakens Nathan’s long-dormant artistic aspirations, their attraction becomes impossible to resist. But secrets are hard to keep in a town like Oasis Springs, and Nathan has a few of his own. With the risk of scandal looming and their hearts on the line, they’ll have to decide whether the possibility of losing everything is worth taking a chance on love.

The Art of Scandal is a sizzling, conversation-starting debut about rekindling passion, the transformative power of art, and finding love in unexpected places.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Violin Conspiracy

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb is $1.99! I mentioned this one on a previous edition of Get Rec’d. This is a heist-type mystery with a deep dive into classical music communities.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music worldwhen a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.

“I loved The Violin Conspiracy for exactly the same reasons I loved The Queen’s Gambit: a surprising, beautifully rendered underdog hero I cared about deeply and a fascinating, cutthroat world I knew nothing about—in this case, classical music.” —Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and Hour of the Witch

Growing up Black in rural North Carolina, Ray McMillian’s life is already mapped out. But Ray has a gift and a dream—he’s determined to become a world-class professional violinist, and nothing will stand in his way. Not his mother, who wants him to stop making such a racket; not the fact that he can’t afford a violin suitable to his talents; not even the racism inherent in the world of classical music.

When he discovers that his beat-up, family fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, all his dreams suddenly seem within reach, and together, Ray and his violin take the world by storm. But on the eve of the renowned and cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—the violin is stolen, a ransom note for five million dollars left in its place. Without it, Ray feels like he’s lost a piece of himself. As the competition approaches, Ray must not only reclaim his precious violin, but prove to himself—and the world—that no matter the outcome, there has always been a truly great musician within him.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

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Posted by Amanda

This HaBO comes from Samantha, who wants to find this historical romance:

I am hoping you can help me identify a historical romance novel I have been searching for over the past three years since I got back into reading romance.

Here are the details I recall:

– Genre: Historical romance, road trip theme, grumpy/sunshine trope.

– Publication Date: Definitely written before 2006, and likely before 2003.

– Hero: Gruff and aristocratic, though he has been away from his home for an extended period.

– Heroine: Lower class, possibly red-haired, and provides comic relief.

– Plot: A road trip romance where the MMC is taking the FMC back to his home, seemingly against her will.

– Specific Scene: There is a moment where the FMC says something to the effect of, “Is that a watch fob in your pocket?”—referring to his erection.

I thought I knew this one, but the watch fob and year didn’t match with my guess. Let’s HaBO!

Pan-Demonium

Nov. 25th, 2025 02:00 pm
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Posted by Jen

Today's post is a little different, and doesn't quite fit my standard definition of a wreck - but it's just too darn funny not to share. 

Today's post is also probably NSFW, and unless you want some really uncomfortable discussions with your children, NSFK, either.

So, assuming you're at home and have no kids around, YOU MAY PROCEED.

 *****

 

In the spirit of Pan-Tastic, we here at CW want you to get the most mileage out of your shaped cake pans. To that end, allow us to present....er, this:

 

IT'S A LIGHTHOUSE.

Juuuuust a lighthouse.

 ("Be a beacon?!") 

(If you get that reference, I will personally award you one million geek points.)

 

And also this:

Old Macdonald had a farm.

 Which was clearly compensating for something.

 

Of course, your pan may be a slightly different model, so there's also this option:

Those pesky UFOs - always taking off to the right.

 

Or this:

I'm coocoo for COCONUTS!

(Coconuts. Seriously. THESE JOKES WRITE THEMSELVES.)

 

By now I'm sure you're wondering where all these brilliant designs came from. Well, would you believe there was a whole website dedicated to finding alternative uses for that most distinctive of shaped cake pans? 'Cuz there was, and I think you'll agree that blogger/baker Holly was a veritable WIZARD at making me bust a gut laughing:

You'll never hear a reference to Mr. Wizard the same way again.

And here's one final option, spotted at an actual baby shower:

There's something ironic about using this particular pan for a baby shower cake. Or is it appropriate? Ironically appropriate? Whatever. IT'S FUNNY.


My thanks to Thomas S., whoever it was that originally sent me the link to Holly's site, and the rest of you for not yelling at me in the comments about how these aren't professional or at ALL appropriate. I KNOW.

But to be fair, neither am I. ;)

*****

P.S. It is possible our obsession with gnomes has gone too far?

Gnome Refrigerator Handle Covers, Set of 8

... or not far enough?

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

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Posted by Amanda

Welcome back!

It’s a short and sweet release week for us. Only three books to mention before we head into December. We have a fantasy romance, historical, and contemporary.

Which new releases are on your TBR pile this week? Let us know in the comments!

Ember Eternal

Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill

Author: Chloe Neill
Released: November 25, 2025 by Ace
Genre: , ,
Series: Souls Burn Brightest #1

A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who happens to be a royal in disguise) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue, from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and only a little at that. She has no choice. Fox and her three closest companions entered into indentured servitude to the Lady, a mysterious noble with widespread political power by questionable means, in order to pay off familial debts. While searching for an easy mark in town, Fox helps a royal bodyguard fend off a would-be assassin’s attack on a prince’s life.

But what started off as protecting the prince out of good conscience has now unwittingly embroiled this thief in a vast world of politics, high stakes, and romance. And though Fox longs to be free of her debts, she must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

Amanda: A royal in disguise and a thief!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Marriage Method

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

Author: Mimi Matthews
Released: November 25, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: ,
Series: The Crinoline Academy #2

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincy starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

Lara: I tend to love Mimi Matthews books, but there’s something extra special about this series and this book is no exception to that. Full review.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Second Chance Romance

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade

Author: Olivia Dade
Released: November 25, 2025 by Avon
Genre: ,
Series: Harlot's Bay #2

In the second installment of USA Today bestselling author Olivia Dade’s Harlot’s Bay series, a mistaken obituary leads to the reunion of two former high school crushes. Sparks fly in this hilarious grumpy/grumpy romance, packed with Dade’s signature body positivity and a delicious amount of spice.

Karl and Molly were never together. There was a time, right after high school, where it seemed like they might finally cross the line from friends to lovers…but instead, a foolish misunderstanding meant they never spoke again. Molly went to LA and got married. Karl stayed in Harlot’s Bay and bought a bakery.

The only connection the pair has shared over the years is painfully one-sided: Now divorced, Molly narrates monster romance audiobooks, and Karl is an ever-diligent listener, clinging to his only piece of the one that got away.

Still, Molly hasn’t totally left Harlot’s Bay behind. When she hears that Karl’s obituary has run in the local paper, unexpected grief prompts her to hop on the next flight to Maryland…where she finds Karl very much alive, the victim of nothing but an accidental obituary.

As the pair reunite, they finally hash out their missed connection. True, Molly isn’t quite ready to trust again, but Karl is determined to prove himself worthy of her faith and devotion. And as her remaining time in Harlot’s Bay ticks down, Molly, the habitual cynic, just might find that Karl, the cranky town curmudgeon, is impossible to leave behind a second time.

Book two in the Harlot’s Bay series.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Non-Fiction, Christina Lauren, & More

Nov. 24th, 2025 04:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

RECOMMENDED: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter is $1.99! Lara gave this an A:

This book just got better and better with every twist and reveal. Original, compelling, well-written and immersive, this is a great book to escape into. It is perfect for right now, for the holidays, and for re-reading, which I will definitely be doing very soon.

Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Love and Other Words

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren is $3.99! This is a standlone, which is typically a bit of a departure from their Beautiful and Wild Seasons series (less explicit sex). However, there is a content warning for the book. If you want to read the spoiler, you can find it here.

The heart may hide, but it never forgets.

The first women’s fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly teen friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco reading books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Some Desperate Glory

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh is $2.99! I mentioned this one on a previous Hide Your Wallet. Might be worth picking up if you’re in the mood for a queer space oepra.

From Astounding Award Winner and Crawford Award Finalist Emily Tesh

“Masterful, audacious storytelling. Relentless, unsentimental, a completely wild ride.”—Tamsyn Muir

While we live, the enemy shall fear us.

Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity.

They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to the nursery to bear sons until she dies trying, she knows must take humanity’s revenge into her own hands.

Alongside her brother’s brilliant but seditious friend and a lonely, captive alien, Kyr escapes from everything she’s known into a universe far more complicated than she was taught and far more wondrous than she could have imagined.

A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you, Some Desperate Glory is award-winning author Emily Tesh’s highly anticipated debut novel.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

An Immense World

An Immense World by Ed Yong is $1.99! I believe Aarya mentioned this on a previous Hide Your Wallet and I’ve heard it’s wonderful on audio. Did any of you pick this one up?

Enter a new dimension—the world as it is truly perceived by other animals—from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times bestselling author of I Contain Multitudes.

“A stunning achievement, steeped in science but suffused with magic.”—Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Gene

The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world.

In An Immense World, author and Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and even humans who wield sonar like bats. We discover that a crocodile’s scaly face is as sensitive as a lover’s fingertips, that the eyes of a giant squid evolved to see sparkling whales, that plants thrum with the inaudible songs of courting bugs, and that even simple scallops have complex vision. We learn what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, and what dogs smell on the street. We listen to stories of pivotal discoveries in the field, while looking ahead at the many mysteries that remain unsolved.

Funny, rigorous, and suffused with the joy of discovery, An Immense World takes us on what Marcel Proust called “the only true voyage . . . not to visit strange lands, but to possess other eyes.”

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Er Mah Gourd!

Nov. 24th, 2025 02:00 pm
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Posted by Jen

Eek! I think I’ve forgotten to mention this year what is possibly the most popular indicator of Fall - you know, the one you see in every coffee shop, restaurant, and bakery across the nation.

Yep, I'm talking about that ubiquitous Fall flavor:

...Poop brûlée

 

Kidding, kidding. We all know the actual flavor of Fall is pumpkin:

...with poop on top.

Or on the side!

Or just washed down the edges.

Or whatever is happening here.

 

And when bakers aren't grossing us out with log-a-riffic "stem" action on their pumpkin cakes, they're busy gleefully spitting in the eye of Mother Nature:

I can just imagine them dramatically twirling their mustachios now:

 "Take THAT, nature, with your natural shapes, and your natural colors, and your sickening lack of spikes and crappy silly string. HA. Haha! AHAHAHAHAHAA!!"

"Oh, and I always wanted my pumpkins to have a sphincter, so there."

 

Now, you might be questioning whether that is actually supposed to be a pumpkin.

First of all, NEVER QUESTION THE JEN.

Lest she speak of herself in the third person.

And second of all, of COURSE it's a pumpkin.

Can't you see that it's orange? And green? And brown? 

 WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT, YOU UNGRATEFUL PEOPLE PUMPKIN EATERS?

Ah. 

Well, don't you worry; the turkey cakes are coming.

 

Thanks to Carol W., Rheanne K., Dawn R., Brady, Julie P., Holley R., Jessica S., & Lisa S. for the excuse to type the following: Ermahgourd! Permpkins!

*****

P.S. Here's a great book for those of you with kids around the house this Thanksgiving:

How To Catch A Turkey

The illustrations are fantastic and it's especially fun to real aloud:

****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

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Posted by Amanda

Welcome back to Cover Snark!

How to Catch Crabs by Demelza Carlton. A man in a newsboy cap with a white shirt and suspenders leans closely to a woman. She has on a green shirt and is wearing burgundy gloves. Her brown hair is past her shoulders and she has on a decorative green kerchief tied over her head.

Elyse: Is this a PSA?

Tara: Or a how-to guide? Do you need hats and/or scarves to transport the crabs after you catch them?

Sarah: Gloves, too.

Tara: Oh yeah, the tiny ones can go in the fingers.

Claudia: Hmm my mind went to pubic crabs, I’m so sorry…

Sarah: Oh, me, too. I figured that was why their hair was covered.

Caught Between Dragons by Cynthia Wilde. A veiny shirtless dude is looking down at his pecs, or maybe his crotch. A dragon is roaring in his ear.

From Jen: I see one dragon. Is the other one in his pants? What is he looking for? Disturbing and confusing cover.

Sarah: I think the dragon is yelling I TOLD YOU SO.

Amanda: Also there’s some strange texture going on with his chest.

Sarah: WHAT is with all the crotch-staring cover models? Even the dragon hates it.

Gorgeous Gyno by Karen Deen. A headless man with his shirt unbuttoned and tie hanging loosely around his neck. The real snark is the title.

From Brigitte: I saw this book couldn’t get over how bad this title is. I hope the ‘zon doesn’t send me any recommendations like this one, because it’s cringe worthy!

Sarah: During a gynecological exam, I expect medical professionals to keep their shirts on, not have them unbuttoned but still tucked in. Am I weird?

Claudia: I read Gorgeous Gyro and frankly that would be vastly preferable than the actual title of this book!

Sarah: I would eat a gorgeous gyro.

Sneezy: Dammit now, now I want a gyro too.

Culgan by Victoria Saccenti. A very tan man is shirtless except for what looks to be a leather peter pan collar. The title is in a medieval decorative font, which makes it hard to read. There's a blurry face of an eagle in the background.

From Melodie: Nominee for the bad font choice award! Amazon claims this book is titled Culgan. But I guess I would be going by an alias too if I had to wear that ugly little capelet to a fight. By his face he knows that he needs actual armor to go against the giant parrot.

Sarah: Is Ulgah wearing a beauty shop drape cover? Was Ulgah interrupted at the salon by a giant bird looking for a fight? I bet Ulgah was mid-coloring and had to step out from under the dome dryer to get the sword.

Claudia: All I know is that Culgari looks mad about the interruption.

Elyse: See I’m getting Eulcah

Sarah: Or Eulcari?

Sunday Sweets: I'm Your Maître D'

Nov. 23rd, 2025 02:00 pm
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Posted by Sharyn

(Extra points if you "hear" this in the Genie's voice!)

 

Well, Ali Baba had them 40 thieves
Scheherezad-ie had a thousand tales
But, reader, you're in luck 'cuz Sunday Sweets
Has gorgeous cakes that make all others pale

By House of the Rising Cake

 

You've got some flowers in your corner now

By Wild Orchid Baking Company

 

Every single cake here is a champ

By The Fondant Flinger

 

They've got punch, pizazz! Yahoo and wow

By Take the Cake in Chicago

 

Hey, this cake looks like a Tiffany lamp!

By Maggie Austin Cake

 

Now I say...

Sunday Sweets reader, please
What will your pleasure be?

By Jacques Fine European Pastries

 

Let me take your order
Something brown?

By Cakework

 

You ain't never seen cakes like these

By Cotton and Crumbs

 

These aren't in restaurants
They're here on Sunday Sweets!

By Mike's Amazing Cakes

 

C'mon, whisper what it is you want
You ain't never seen cakes like these!

By Sweet Thing Black Orchid

 

[blinking 'Applause' sign

Happy Sunday!

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

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Posted by Amanda

Hey, everyone!

Can we all be shocked that there’s no non-fiction in this post? I’m definitely a little proud of myself. We have a middle grade graphic novel, a f/f novella, a cozy fantasy, and an Austen inspired anthology.

Have you received any great recommendations lately? Share them in the comments!

Bea Wolf

This was recommended in the SBTB Podcast Patreon Discord by Clay, and I desperately wanted to share it. Clay mention that this middle grade graphic novel is cute and funny, and that she’s given it successfully as a gift several times.

A modern middle-grade graphic novel retelling of Beowulf, featuring a gang of troublemaking kids who must defend their tree house from a fun-hating adult who can instantly turn children into grown-ups.

Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy’s clarion call!

Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life.

As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior—a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded.

They call for Bea Wolf.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Guy Sure Looks Like Plant Food To Me

Obsessed! A f/f novella inspired by one of my favorite musicals. 

From the best-selling author of Heartless Heathens, TGSLLPFTM is a killer rom-com, feel-good, magical short story about fated love blooming in the most unexpected of places.

I’VE GIVEN HER SUNSHINE

I’ve given her dirt

She’s given me much more

Than I ever deserved.

I’m begging her sweetly

I’m down on my knees

Oh, please,

KILL FOR ME

TGSLLPFTM Is a novella inspired by Roger Corman’s The Little Shop of Horrors

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Ladies in Waiting

This really slid under the radar! It’s a short story collection featuring Austen’s side characters from well-known authors, especially in romance. 

Celebrate Jane Austen’s classic novels with this short story anthology starring forgotten characters as they experience their own happy endings.

In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife

Cozy fantasy had a moment of retiree plots, where an adventurer would hang up their gear to settle down somewhere (often with plans to open up a small business). If you’ve been searching for me, try this one. 

An undead orc knight leaves battle behind for a new kind of afterlife—one with good food, good friends, and maybe even fatherhood.

Rottgor is worn out. Literally. Barely held together by dark magic, he has protected the Necropolis for centuries. When he’s forced into retirement, he’s faced with a new challenge: to forge a future guided not by obligation, but by passion.

Following his heart (and stomach), he decides to open a restaurant where the city’s undead and living residents can share food and community. He’s helped in his quest by an unlikely assortment of neighbors, including elves, skeletons, vampires—and a young orphan girl named Astra, whose ancestry, if discovered, could put her and the entire Necropolis in danger. To protect Astra and the life he’s building, Rottgor must face his past and form new alliances built on friendship, loyalty, and love. As comforting as warm pumpkin bread, this gentle fantasy traces how even a dark history can rise into a bright future.

 

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Sunday Sale Digest!

Nov. 23rd, 2025 07:00 am
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Posted by Amanda

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

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Posted by Amanda

The woman in yellow coat jeans and boots sitting under the maple tree with a red book and cup of coffee or tea in fall city park on a warm day. Autumn golden leaves. Reading concept. Close up.November is quickly coming to a close. Here’s what we’re reading right now:

Elyse: I’m reading Christmas Fling by Lindsay Kelk. ( A | BN | K | AB )

Sarah: I have been reading The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic & Murder by Kiri Callaghan which is part murder mystery, part family drama, part fantasy quest – there’s been skulking in graveyards, magical tea, weird as murders, and fae cats. It’s got everything!

Alas, my TBR grows longer because as I record the Holiday Wishes episodes, my TBR gets more and more robust. What a terrible problem to have!

Shana: I was gifted several early 2000s large print Harlequins from a library book sale. I just read the first, Taming the Notorious Sicilian by Michelle Smart. ( A | BN | K | AB )

A blond man in a charcoal gray suit sitting down. Leaning over him is a brunette in a burgundy dress with a plunging neckline and drop diamond earrings.

Sarah: Okay hang on – who does that cover photo look like? It’s like part Tom Holland with the nose and jaw of…

Sexy Squidward?

Shana: 1990s Chris O’Donnell?

The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic and Murder
A | BN | K | AB
It’s a mafia romance with a pediatrician heroine with a strong Not-Like-Other-Girls vibe. Looking at the cover, I don’t think it’s obvious which one of them is the notorious Sicilian though.

Sarah: YES 90s O’Donnell is very right.

Wait, the pediatrician is in the mob? Is this like those alien nanny books where the aliens need child care? The mafia needs a pediatrician?

OH HE is in the mafia. WOW I was like, dang, a heroine who is a mobbed up doctor? That’s new! LOLOL @ ME.

Shana: I would have enjoyed a mafia pediatrician MUCH MORE than one who kept trying to convince the mafia don to just call the police for help. Police love helping out organized criminals, you know.

Sarah: Oh sure all the time, yeah.

Amanda: I’m reading Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage, the first book since using my new TBR game board. I really like the characters and wowee the sex scenes are hot. However, part of the central conflict is the whole “best friend’s younger sister” which isn’t my bag at all. While the main characters talk about it and the heroine isn’t as hung up on the issue as the hero (and thinks the brother in questions is a bit of a nosy jackass), it does play a large role in their relationship.

Done and Dusted
A | BN | K | AB
Sarah: I’ve said before this is a conflict that always baffles me. In some situations, where the best friend sees the siblings’ family as their family, and doesn’t want to potentially compromise that, I get it. That seems like emotional security. But most of the time, I’m thinking, if you don’t want your best friend dating your sibling, wtf kind of friends do you have, and what kind of person are you?

Amanda: I think it’s more of the brother is a judgmental asshole and has always been overprotective. Like it’s clear he also thinks his sister’s BFF is a bad influence/troublemaker. And the hero is pretty upfront that “I like you and I don’t want this to be a secret,” but the heroine is working through some bigger things right now (coming back home after a traumatic injury on the barrel racing circuit). The brother has a future romance with the BFF, so I’m curious if his personality will be redeemed at some point.

I would LOVE if this sort of conflict is resolved with them telling the brother and him being like “oh cool, I love both of you and am happy for you both” given that there is still the injury part of the storyline to work through. But we’ll see!

Whatcha reading right now? Let us know in the comments!

Freya Marske, KDDs, & More

Nov. 21st, 2025 04:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

We Solve Murders

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman is $1.99! This came out last September, but I wouldn’t be surprised if library holds were still pretty long. Maybe snap this up if you impatience is winning out.

A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve…

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job…

Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Swordcrossed

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske is $2.99! Many of us were very excited for this release. Sarah also had Marske on the podcast to talk about it.

High heat. Low stakes. Sharp steel.

The cozy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance where, yes, the swords do cross.

A LitHub most anticipated book of 2024

Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family’s wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.

What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

“There’s nothing in fantasy or queer romance that Marske can’t do.”—Sarah Rees Brennan

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley is $1.99! This is book three in the Glimmer Falls series. For me, this series was too twee for my liking. What are your thoughts?

Ben Rosewood never meant to be bound to a vampire succubus, especially one as sexy-yet-terrifying as Eleanora Bettencourt-Devereux, but he has to admit there are some fang-tastic perks….

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance—who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful but angry vampire.

Eleanora Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed—a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. But thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleanora’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?

Eleanora would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleanora and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The City of Stardust

The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers is $2.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and I gave this one a C. As Jenny in the comments of my review described it, this is a book that is mainly aesthetic and vibes. Summers’s sophomore novel just came out and I’m excited for it.

Slip into a lush world of magic, stardust, and monsters in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy from debut author Georgia Summers.

For centuries, the Everlys have seen their best and brightest disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Their tormentor, a woman named Penelope, never ages, never grows sick – and never forgives a debt.

Violet Everly was a child when her mother left on a stormy night, determined to break the curse. When Marianne never returns, Penelope issues an ultimatum: Violet has ten years to find her mother, or she will take her place. Violet is the last of the Everly line, the last to suffer. Unless she can break the curse first.

Her hunt leads her into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge. And into the path of Penelope’s quiet assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted – and yet to whom she finds herself undeniably drawn.

With her time running out, Violet will travel the edges of the world to find Marianne and the key to the city of stardust, where the Everly story began.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Christmas Blues

Nov. 21st, 2025 02:00 pm
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Posted by Jen

I have a problem around this time of year. It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm hoping I'm not the only one. 

It goes like this:

I'll be out shopping somewhere with John, when suddenly:

I'll hear it.

And I'll think, "No, it can't be. They wouldn't play THAT song. Not here! It must be some other song."

Then a few more seconds will go by, and I'll realize:

It IS that song.

They're playing Christmas Shoes.

 

So I tell myself I'll just ignore it. I talk to John a little louder. I try humming It's A Small World. But it's no use:

I start listening, in spite of myself.

 

And ninety seconds later:

[sobbing] "Buy him the shoes! BUY THE LITTLE BOY THE SHOES FOR HIS DYING MOTHER! AaahhhaaaaHAAA!!"

 

 And my mascara's running everywhere...

 

And the cashier is like:

 

And all the other customers are like:

 

And I turn to John for support, but he's crying, too, so we're BOTH like:

And THAT is why I'm never going back to that Honey Baked Ham outlet.

 

Thanks to Hannah F., Kimberly S., Linda M., Anony M., Rachel S.,  Marissa C.,  Jodee R., Kizzie F., & David G. who might claim they don't cry at Christmas Shoes, but if so they're filthy, filthy liars.

And just in case you haven’t heard it yet this year, here it is. BUT DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.

Here's a fun, trauma-free Christmas story you can read with your kids:

Jolly Jingle Christmas Book With Push-Button Sounds

You play the sound effects on the side as you read through the story together. Awww.

I also found a cute finger puppet book for Hanukkah:

Happy Hanukkah, Little Dreidel! Finger Puppet Board Book

*****

And because Christmas is the perfect time for DIY gnomes:

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Posted by SB Sarah

Twelfth Night premieres 11/14 on PBS - an image of Sandra Oh , Daphne Rubin-Vega, and the ensemble wearing dark sunglasses and posing around a desk and chair At some point this year, and I don’t remember which corporate or governmental bullshit event it was, I subscribed to PBS and downloaded the PBS Passport app.

You can stream SO MUCH GOOD STUFF my gosh. Ballet! Antiques Roadshow! Stage performances from recent and distant history! The truly top-shelf visual dopamine of All Creatures Great and Small. I could end this post here and just say, PBS Passport is the greatest, and subscribing is an upgrade to your life.

Also – supporting a rural PBS station goes a VERY long way right now as the administration plays do-si-kiss-my-ass with funding.

BUT. Y’ALL.

Great Performances has begun streaming the 2025 Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night with a cast that includes, and I am not joking:

  • Lupita Nyong’o
  • Sandra Oh
  • Peter Dinklage
  • Junior Nyong’o, who is Lupita’s brother (the resemblance is profound)
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson
  • Khris Davis
  • Daphne Rubin-Vega

The performance was directed by Saheem Ali, and seriously, y’all. We watched the play over two nights, and it was easily one of the best productions I’ve seen.

And I don’t want to brag or anything, but I saw a production in the late 90s at Lincoln Center with Helen Hunt and Paul Rudd. You can watch it in varying degrees of quality on YouTube now.

That performance was also incredible, with music so alluring I bought the soundtrack on CD.

The Shakespeare in the Park production at the Delacorte equally blew my mind – and also had incredible music, much of it sung by Feste, played impeccably by Moses Sumney.

A behind the scenes clip of rehearsal

I’m not a theatre critic by a longshot, though I love live theater productions. I love remixes of Shakespeare that play with era or setting. And I love LOVE LOVE when clearly everyone involved is engaged with their character and the others on stage with an energy and ebullience that to me communicates that they’re really enjoying themselves. Antonio is played by an actor who goes by b. and they were mesmerizing; even with a smaller part and a few lines, their presence on stage had a gravity that was difficult to look away from.

I already watch tv with subtitles, but even with the text at the bottom of the screen, it was difficult to look away from most of this production. The only parts I found more dull were the scenes with Sir Toby Belch, played by John Ellison Conlee. While the other performers gave their delivery nuance and variety, Conlee mostly seemed to have one setting, which was “drunk bloviation.” Granted that’s Belch’s entire schtick, but those scenes were less engaging because of the sameness of the tone.

In addition to different kinds of love and ardor, Twelfth Night explores grief, identity, and gender; this production adds through a few changes an exploration of immigrant experience.

Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked in Illyria, and some of their dialogue includes translations of the text into Swahili. They’ve washed ashore in a strange place where they are vulnerable, convinced they are now alone in this strange world, and their reunion and dialogue in Swahili at the end made my eyes tear because I didn’t understand it (no subtitles there) but also, I did understand it. I didn’t need to know the words to know the emotion of realizing a person thought dead is alive, and safe, and present and whole. Earlier that evening, I had been reading about the hundreds of people being kidnapped and disappeared by ICE in Charlotte, and clearly that added to my reaction.

The style and flair of the actors, such as dropping into modern speech rhythms for delivery of some lines and adding elements of camp and drag, was delightful. Peter Dinklage is incredible at physical comedy and his Malvolio is both brittle in his insecurities and weighty in his pompousness. There is nothing more funny to me right now than hearing him say “Cross gartered.”

This production lives in my mind alongside the production of Born With Teeth that was playing until recently in London, starring Edward Bluemel (My Lady Jane) and Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who). Born With Teeth is about an imagined alliance and rivalry (and mega flirtation) between William Shakespeare (Bluemel) and Christopher Marlowe (Gatwa). The palpable erotic tension was remarkable, but so too was the way in which Gatwa subtly included aspects of Black identity and history into how he interpreted Marlowe’s character. Similarly, Black identity and markers of Black culture – Orsino lifting weights while wearing a durag, elements of body posture and line delivery, for example – suffuse this production with layered meaning in a way that I can’t stop thinking about. I think I’m going to have to watch it again.

So, my recommendation: watch Twelfth Night on PBS Great Performances. It’s terrific. And it reminds me that I will be immeasurably more content if I engage with more theater, more marginalized actors interpreting historical figures and texts, and more PBS.

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Posted by SB Sarah

Blue gift box with silver ribbonIt’s time for our annual Holiday Wishes episodes!

Every year I connect with listeners around the world, where we talk about books, wishes, and bad jokes. So this time of year, my guests are…all of you!

In this set of wishes, we’ve got classics, new mysteries, and series romances. And we’ve got Sapphic yearning!

I have a record number of people signed up to do holiday wishes conversations with me, and these episodes are so uplifting and delightful, I’m extremely excited.

And! There is still time to sign up! If you’re part of the Podcast Patreon or After Dark, you can still pick a time to connect with me.

Listen to the podcast →
Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher, and Spotify, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.

More ways to sponsor:

Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)

What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.

Thanks for listening!

Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.

Oh, Hey! Look! I’m Testing Things!

Nov. 20th, 2025 04:59 pm
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Posted by SB Sarah

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you'd like to join, we'd love to have you!

Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun!

If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.

Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.

Mostly Historical Romances

Nov. 20th, 2025 04:30 pm
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Posted by Amanda

The Duke at Hazard

The Duke at Hazard by KJ Charles is 99c! This is the second book in the The Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series. It came out last year. Shana was excited for this one because of the road trip element.

Don’t miss the second thrilling Regency romance in the Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune series by KJ Charles…

The Duke of Severn is one of the greatest men in Britain.

He’s also short, quiet, and unimpressive. And now he’s been robbed, after indulging in one rash night with a strange man who stole the heirloom Severn ring from his finger. The Duke has to get it back, and he can’t let anyone know how he lost it. So when his cousin bets that he couldn’t survive without his privilege and title, the Duke grasps the opportunity to hunt down his ring-incognito.

Life as an ordinary person is terrifying…until the anonymous Duke meets Daizell Charnage, a disgraced gentleman, and hires him to help. Racing across the country in search of the thief, the Duke and Daizell fall into scrapes, into trouble-and in love.

Daizell has been excluded from polite society, his name tainted by his father’s crimes and his own misbehaviour. Now he dares to dream of a life somewhere out of sight with the quiet gentleman who’s stolen his heart. He doesn’t know that his lover is a hugely rich public figure with half a dozen titles. And when he finds out, it will risk everything they have…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Slightly Married

Slightly Married by Mary Balogh is $1.99! This is the first book in the Bedwyn Saga, which is a favorite amongst romance readers. It also has a cover updated, which is…fine? I kind of miss the red and gold.

Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters—men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality…Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Aidan Bedwyn, the marriage-shy second son, discovers that matrimony may be the most seductive act of all.…

Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart—and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier’s request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man’s sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection…nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can’t refuse: marry him…if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve’s “business arrangement” is about to be transformed…into something slightly surprising.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady

The Viscount’s Unconventional Lady by Virginia Heath is $1.99! This was previously published in 2021, so make sure you don’t already have it. This is book one in The Talk of the Beau Monde series and I certainly don’t like that cover.

The notorious viscount

And the most gossiped-about lady…

After years as a diplomat in the Napoleonic Wars, Lord Eastwood is reluctant to return to London society. His scandalous divorce has made him infamous, not to mention cantankerous! To halt the rumor mill, he should marry a quiet noblewoman—instead it’s bold, vibrant artist Faith Brookes who’s caught his attention. They are the least suitable match, so why is he like a moth to a flame?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Call Me Maybe

Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone is 99c! Bastone’s romances have been previously recommended in the comments. This one was originally released on audio and judging by the description, I’d assume it was pretty cute. This is also on the shorter side at a little over 200 pages.

The audio bestseller, available for the first time in ebook! True love is on the line in Cara Bastone’s charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com, perfect for fans of Netflix’s Love is Blind, Jo Watson, Lauren Layne and Hannah Orenstein!

Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth…when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…in an adorable way.

And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back.

And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website.

And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).

And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people to fall in love at first talk.

Because I’m falling…hard.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Limer-Icks

Nov. 20th, 2025 02:00 pm
[syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Sharyn

There once was a wedding confection

That failed the bride's final inspection

So we grabbed an airbrush

Painted it in a rush

And told Yanks it was for their election!

 

I'm finding it rather outrageous

That I have to spend some of my wages

On a cake for my Dad

Of a girl, partly clad

Is it me, or does she look contagious?

 

I hope you don't find me neurotic

But I'm sure my new heart is necrotic

It rattles and shakes

And I think that it's cake...

Did I mention my surgeon's psychotic?

 

Clap your hands for poor Tinkerbell

A bee sting has caused her to swell

Grab a fresh EpiPen

And inject her again

For she's really just not looking well.

 

 If you just can't spell "congratulations"

And your piping skills won't win ovations

You should find a career

Where you won't end up here

Or at least take extended vacations.

 

I once saw a cake in Nantucket

That had frosting applied by the bucket

Though it's called a nice gift

It's too heavy to lift

So I guess that I'll just have to chuck it.

 

Thanks to Fiona N., Annabelle K., Melissa J., Michael C.,  Miranda B., Wendy R., Erika H., and Arlene for making me speak in rhyme all day. (Hey guys, are there rocks ahead?)

*****

P.S. Good news, there's a Volume 2!

Exceptionally Bad Dad Jokes, Vol II

This one has the word "spiffing" in the title AND comes with a lovely green-and-gold cover, so folks will recognize your sophisticated taste while begging you to stop telling these terrible, TERRIBLE jokes.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

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